


By Happenstance

by Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln



Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Call me by your name, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, M/M, unexpected
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-01-08 14:07:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12255933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln/pseuds/Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln
Summary: Thomas is an out-going American Scholar coming to visit the UK, and study with a professor there for six weeks.Newt is the introverted son of the professor. What was supposed to be just purely academic has become something much different, and there's nothing either boy can do to stop it.//AU very loosely based on the novel Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman. This was a request from the lovely alexa!





	1. His Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> This was supposed to go up much sooner, oops! This chapter is going to be short (it's more like an intro than a chapter). But here it is, I hope you enjoy!! 
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

Thomas took in a deep breath. 

The house he'd be staying in for the next six weeks stood before him, and it was definitely beautiful. Big, but not huge, and elegant, Thomas felt intimidated just looking at it. He could only imagine what the inside was like. 

An older man who Thomas recognized right away came out to greet him. It was the professor he had come to study with. He had never met him in person, but he had seen pictures everywhere. He was well-known. 

"Professor!" Thomas chirped, shaking his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." 

"And you." he said, nodding towards the house. "Come in, come in." 

Thomas was relieved, he seemed to be a nice guy. 

And, as Thomas had suspected, the inside of the house was even more gorgeous. Art everywhere, everything very clean and classy. Thomas would've whistled, but something told him that would be dangerously inappropriate. 

"There's a guest bedroom across from my son's," The Professor explained. "It's nothing special, but it'll do you well. A bed, a desk, and a dresser." 

Thomas nodded. "Thank you very much, sir." 

The Professor gestured towards the room. "There you are, I'll leave you to unpacking and getting settled. Our first lesson will start tomorrow," he said, then walked right out. 

Thomas just stood there and let out a breath. The Professor had done this many times, and it showed. Everything he said, while warm and friendly, was definitely rehearsed and seemed to be somewhat of a routine by now. 

"Newt, come meet Thomas!" he heard him say across the hall. 

Thomas turned, waiting. 

A thin, blond boy walked in, looking almost bored. Even still, he offered a smile, and it was definitely warm. Thomas eagerly offered his hand; he was really cute. His hair was fluffy and just a little chaotic, and his features were just as thin as the rest of him. He was definitely younger than Thomas, maybe seventeen, but he held an air of maturity around him. And just like his father, when he shook his hand and said "It's nice to meet you", it was rehearsed. 

"I'm Thomas," Thomas said, smiling. 

"Newt," the boy said with a nod. "How was your trip?" 

Thomas sat back on his bed. "Long." 

Newt didn't seem surprised by the answer. 

Thomas pulled a grin. "I wanna know how many times you've asked that question."

 _That_ surprised Newt, though. He grinned a bit. "Well, not to anyone who has ever called me out on it." 

Thomas laughed a bit. "Yeah, well, you sound a bit rehearsed. How many people have said l'ong'?" 

"Every single one I've asked," Newt replied with a laugh. 

"Then I take it back," Thomas said. "My trip was short and wonderful, and I wish I could do it again right now." 

Newt giggled a bit. "Charming," he said, amused, then waved and disappeared. 

Thomas just sat there, feeling a bit accomplished. 

 

_I think that went well._


	2. Skipping Stones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Very last minute, one of my friends has to rush out of state to see a family member that is (so sadly) passing on, so I am last minute house-sitting. But she doesn't have internet... So I will be gone tomorrow, and gone until late on Saturday or early Sunday! Ah!! So sorry, I will try to update tomorrow before I leave, but I don't know for sure!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own anything by James Dashner or André Aciman!***

Dinner was what Thomas had expected; nice food with everyone at the table. 

Though, most of the dinner discussion was between Thomas and the Professor. Thomas occasionally glanced at Newt, who would be staring off, bored, or picking at his food with obvious disinterest. It almost made Thomas want to stop talking about his studies that he had come so far for. 

After dinner, the sun was beginning to set, and everyone was beginning to wind down. 

Except Thomas. 

He wanted to do something, or see something, or talk to someone. He was antsy. He peered out of his doorway, looking into Newt's. It was open, and Newt was just laying on his bed, reading. The soft, warm sunlight leaking through the window cast a very inviting glow on the entire scene, so Thomas walked forward. 

He knocked on the open door, smiling sheepishly when Newt glanced up at him. 

"Hey." 

"Hey," Newt replied, closing his book and sitting up. "Do you need something?"

Thomas shrugged. "Well, no, not really. I just..." 

"Do you wanna go take a walk?" Newt asked suddenly, surprising Thomas. "You seem bored." 

Thomas nodded, eagerly. "Um, yeah."

 

"Have you ever gotten to know any of them?" 

"The first couple ones who came through," Newt answered as they walked. He shrugged. "But they're college students. They come for their lessons, and then they're gone. After awhile, I realized it was sort of a waste of time." 

"I can understand that," Thomas said with a nod. "So you just awkwardly coexist with the students that stay in your house?" 

Newt grinned. "Pretty much." 

Thomas grinned as well. "So this is how you spend your entire summer? That sounds painful." 

Newt rolled his eyes. "I don't  _just_ sit around and avoid strangers in my house." he said matter-of-factly. "I have friends, and we do stuff, sometimes." 

Thomas laughed. "Wow, sounds convincing." 

Newt stopped, hands on hips. "Excuse  _you,_ but I am going to a party with my friend tomorrow night, okay? My social life is real." 

Thomas put his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, I stand corrected." 

Newt nodded smugly. "And what are you going to be doing all summer? Studying?" 

Thomas laughed. "Fine, you win." 

Thomas had to admit, though, he was a bit surprised to hear that Newt was going to be going to a party. He didn't seem to the type that went to a party, and his dad didn't seem like the type to  _let_ him go to a party. Either way, Thomas' interest was piqued. 

"Maybe you can go." 

Thomas glanced at him, surprised. "What?" 

"It'll be after your lessons," Newt said with a bashful shrug. "You could go." 

Thomas was a bit surprised, but just grinned at that shy look on Newt's face. He was pretty cute. "Maybe," Thomas said, amused.

He wasn't sure if he'd actually go. After a lesson, to just go running off to a party with some kid he barely knew and his friends seemed like a bad idea. But the thought still nagged at him in the back of his head, never letting Thomas forget about it. It would be a hard offer to refuse. 

Newt suddenly turned into a park they were passing, making Thomas have to jog to catch up with him. 

Newt stopped before the little pond. "Can you skip stones?" he asked, picking one up. 

Thomas knelt beside him, picking up a stone. He tossed it onto the water, and it immediately sank. "I guess not." 

Newt laughed, making Thomas do the same. Thomas glanced over at him; the sun was beginning to disappear, and everything was being washed out with a dusky blue. But Newt still looked just as cute. Newt stared at the water for a moment, then tossed his stone. It gently skipped across the surface of the water three times before sinking. 

Thomas grinned. "Show off." 

"It's easy," Newt laughed, putting another stone in Thomas' hand. "It matters what stone you pick. That one's pretty flat, it should do."

"Okay," Thomas said, amused. "So what now?" 

"Hold it like this," Newt said, positioning Thomas' fingers properly. He made Thomas hold it with his thumb and middle finger, and hooked his index finger along the edge. Even still, Thomas couldn't help but notice how cold Newt's hands were, and how much smaller than Thomas' they were. "Now you flick it towards the water. Throw it down and out at the same time." he paused. "Focus on throwing it faster rather than harder." 

Thomas nodded. "Alright, let's see," he said, flicking the rock towards the water. 

He was actually surprised when it bounced on the water. Only twice, but it still worked. 

"Woah!" Thomas laughed, looking at Newt excitedly. 

Newt giggled at Thomas' enthusiasm, searching for another good stone for a moment, then dropped it in Thomas' hand. "Come on, you can do better than that." he said with a grin. 

 

Turns out, Thomas can't do better than that. 

"Well," Newt said, hands in his pockets as the house came into view. "Maybe you'll do better next time." 

Thomas nodded a bit. He stopped when they reached the house; it was dark already, but the moon was bright. If he focused hard enough, he could see Newt's features. "So," Thomas said, smiling. "There will be a next time then?" 

Newt looked a bit startled by the question, then just shrugged with a grin on his face. "We'll see." he said, walking inside. 

Thomas stood there for a moment, laughing to himself under his breath.

Doing his best to wipe the grin off his face, he just shook his head and walked in after him. 


	3. A Long Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned lovelies!! 
> 
> And I made almost $200 house and dog sitting, so that's amazing! :D But now I am back, and I am SO ready to write. So let's do this!! 
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

Thomas was excited about his first lesson, but it sure was long. 

They spent all day in the library, bouncing between lectures and discussions. Thomas was overly aware of the sun going down the entire time. 

Finally, it seemed, it was over. They ate dinner, and Newt was the first one to leave the table. Thomas thought about following him, but decided it might look a bit odd if he dropped everything and went after him. 

So, he finished his food at a normal pace, and then he was off. 

Newt was pulling on a jacket when Thomas stopped by his door, which was once again open. "Off to your party?" 

"Yep. Though I told my dad I was just going out for a walk around town with my friends, so let's keep it that way," Newt said, grinning. 

Thomas nodded a bit, thinking for a moment. He had been completely sure he wasn't going to go; he had decided that this morning. He had decided he needed to focus on his lessons, and that would be all. But after all day being holed up in the library, and seeing Newt about to leave, Thomas knew he needed to get out and breathe some fresh air. "I'll go." 

Newt looked at him, surprised. "Really?" 

Thomas nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll go."

Newt smiled, absolutely beaming. "Okay!" he said, excitedly. "Go get a jacket on, we're leaving in a moment." 

Thomas nodded, turning on his heels and heading back into his own room.  _This is stupid. I'm going to be out late, I have a lesson tomorrow morning._ he shrugged to himself.  _Oh well._

When he walked back to Newt's room, Newt was peering out his window. He waved to someone outside, then turned and started out. "Let's go!" 

Thomas followed curiously. The more he thought about it, the more intrigued he was to find out what kind of party Newt went to. Newt said rushed goodbyes to his parents, then hurried out. 

When they made it out into the chilly air, a girl was standing there. She bounced excitedly, hands in her jacket pockets. Her black hair long and shiny, and big eyes beaming. Something sat in Thomas' stomach uncomfortably.  _Newt's girlfriend, maybe?_

She noticed Thomas and frowned slightly, glancing at Newt, then back at Thomas. "Who's this?" 

"Teresa, this is Tommy," Newt said, motioning towards him. "He's the student at my house this summer. He's coming with us, it's okay, he's cool." 

Teresa's smile returned to her and she offered her hand. "Hi." 

Thomas shook it. "Hi," he paused. "My name is Thomas, actually."

"Tommy fits you better," Newt remarked, then started walking. "Now come on, let's go!" 

On their way there, Thomas couldn't deny whatever feeling that was. Newt and Teresa walked very close, talking happily amongst themselves. Thomas wasn't sure why, but he hadn't expected Newt to have a girlfriend, so now he just felt a bit dumbfounded. 

"So, Thomas," Teresa said over her shoulder, beckoning Thomas to walked beside them rather than behind them. "Studying killing you already?" 

Thomas laughed a little. "Well. Just a bit." 

"They're only going to get more exhausting," Newt said, patting Thomas on the back. "Hang in there." 

When they did reach the party, Thomas was a bit surprised that it was outside. It was pretty; lights hung about, casting a soft glow over everyone. A couple tables were set up, covered with half-full cups and snack foods. Music hummed through the air. The party was alive, people dancing and talking, but it was much more chill than others Thomas had seen. Which was to be expected, Thomas had a feeling that Newt wasn't the type to hang around somewhere too loud or too crowded. 

They both went to one of the less populated tables. Newt sat on the table, and Thomas sat beside him. Teresa leaned in and whispered something in Newt's ear, then rushed off. Newt nudged Thomas. "See? The party is real." 

Thomas laughed. "Alright, alright. You do have a social life." 

Newt grinned. "I'm glad you said that. Because I don't often have one," he paused. "But you can't take it back now, you already said it." 

Thomas smirked, shaking his head. 

Teresa came back with two cups in her hands. She placed them on the table between Newt and Thomas. "I'll go get the third one." 

Newt picked one up and took a sip, his face scrunching up in disgust. He shook his head, handing his cup to Thomas. "No, no. Two is fine," he said, clearly disgusted. 

Thomas accepted it, curiously. When he took a sip, he had expected it to be some poorly spiked, terrible-tasting punch or juice, but to his surprise, it was just straight beer. He glanced over at Newt. "You don't like beer?" 

"No," Newt said, the last traces of disgust leaving his face. "Not at all." 

Which Thomas supposed was for the best, Newt wasn't quite of age yet. Thomas glanced about, wondering how many of these people  _were_ of age. Looking around, Thomas had assumed most of the people would be Newt's age, but it seemed to range from Newt's age, to 20 or so. 

Teresa sat on the other side of Thomas, sipping her drink. "So Thomas, you like beer?" 

"It's alright," Thomas said, taking another sip and placing it down on the table. "I don't really drink all that much, though." 

Teresa smirked. "Neither does Newt; you're both losers." 

Thomas looked at Newt, amused, who just shrugged smugly. The music slowed and Teresa gasped. She took a long swig of her drink, then hopped up, grabbing Newt's hand. "Let's go dance!" she giggled, pulling him along.

Thomas just sat there, watching them. He noticed that they seemed a bit more playful than they probably should in the middle of a slow dance. Thomas suddenly felt better.  _Maybe they're just good friends._

It occurred to Thomas that he probably shouldn't care so much about whether or not Newt had a girlfriend. But every time he looked away, his eyes always found their way back to Newt. 

When they returned, Teresa simply finished off her drink, then disappeared back into the crowd of people, probably to find someone else to dance with. 

"She seems much more excited about parties than you," Thomas said, glancing at Newt. 

Newt laughed and nodded. "Oh yeah. She loves parties." 

"You don't?" Thomas asked, scooting a bit closer to hear him better. Though, he had heard him just fine before... 

"Um. Well, I like them. But I prefer to just kind of observe," he said thoughtfully, then laughed and shook his head. "I guess that must sound crazy to someone like you." 

"Someone like me?" Thomas asked, growing increasingly more curious. He just wanted Newt to tell him everything there was to know about him; Thomas was sure he could listen to him talk all day. 

"Well, ya know," Newt said, "you're pretty outgoing, right? Social?" 

"I guess so," Thomas said with a shrug. 

"Yeah, well, I'm not. I just kind of like to watch from the sidelines." 

"Sounds kind of sad," Thomas said cautiously, not sure if he was intruding on some sensitive subject. 

Apparently he wasn't, because Newt just waved his hand dismissively. "No, actually. I enjoy myself. I know, it sounds weird." 

"No, not weird," Thomas said, smiling. "Interesting." 

Newt grinned. "You're so weird sometimes." 

" _Interesting_ ," Thomas corrected with a smirk. 

Newt giggled. "Okay, interesting." 

It wasn't long before Teresa was back again. By then, Thomas had finished his drink and was beginning to feel something. Not exactly a buzz, and he definitely wasn't drunk--far from it. But he felt a bit more relaxed. Teresa had a new drink, and sat beside Newt this time, talking to him and laughing. Thomas couldn't catch what they were saying, their words lost to the music. But he noticed Teresa occasionally glancing past Newt and right at Thomas. 

Just as Thomas was beginning to feel a bit awkward, Teresa walked over to him. "Wanna dance?" 

Newt looked a bit surprised, but he didn't say anything. Thomas felt just as surprised as Newt looked, but he just shrugged. "Um, okay." he figured it'd be a bit rude to turn her down, considering he was doing nothing. 

Teresa, pleased, grabbed Thomas' hand and pulled him out into the people. The song was a bit slow, and Teresa seemed happy to slow dance. Which was good with Thomas, it was really the only way he knew how to dance. 

"So," Thomas began, somewhat awkwardly. "You and Newt are... friends? Dating? Cousins?" 

Teresa busted up laughing. "No, we're not cousins!" she giggled. "We're not dating either, he's just my best friend."

Thomas couldn't deny the delight he got from hearing that. 

"Oh, that's nice. How long have you known each other?" 

"Oh, since we were kids," Teresa said with a nod. "It's been a long time. We  _did_ date once, but..." her voice trailed as she snickered. 

Thomas grinned. "What happened?" 

"It became very obvious that wasn't going to work out. Not with me. Or any girl, really." 

Thomas' eyes widened. " _Oh."_ he glanced over his shoulder where Newt sat on the table, looking around. He did suddenly look bored. Or maybe annoyed. Thomas couldn't tell which. 

"Yes, he's gay," she glared suddenly. "Have a problem with that!?" 

Thomas laughed, a bit startled. "No, no problem! Jeez!" 

Teresa grinned. "Okay good. Cause I'd kill you."

"I don't doubt it," Thomas said, amused. Though now Thomas had to remind himself not to stare at Newt while dancing with Teresa. 

They made some small talk while dancing together, and when they finished, Thomas finally let himself look at Newt. He frowned; some boy was sitting right next to him, talking to him and laughing. Of course, Thomas assumed the worst, figuring it was his boyfriend. Until he realized how bothered Newt looked, and how he kept scooting away. The boy scooted closer every time, practically spilling his drink every time. It seemed like he had had  _a lot_ of them. 

Feeling a sudden feeling of responsibility, Thomas marched over there. "Hey," he said, beginning to force himself between Newt and the newcomer. "Let me just get in here." 

The drunk boy scowled slightly, but seemed too wasted to really care. He swayed to his feet and wandered off. There was plenty of space now, but Thomas still sat right up against Newt. "You alright?" 

Newt just smiled at him approvingly. "I'm fine." he paused. "Thank you."

Thomas grinned and shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about, all I did was sit down." 

Newt giggled. Then he suddenly didn't look as happy. "So, Teresa is fun, huh?" 

"Yeah, she's pretty fun," Thomas said with a nod. "Nice girl." 

Newt looked at Thomas with an unreadable expression. "Pretty, too." 

Thomas glanced back at him. "Uh, yeah, I guess she is." 

Newt suddenly looked quite unhappy. Frantically, Thomas began speaking again. "We talked about you almost the entire time." 

Newt looked a bit surprised. "Really?" 

"Mm-hmm. Like how you guys have been friends forever, and you dated once and all that," Thomas explained. 

Newt nodded thoughtfully, staring off into the crowd again. 

Thomas wasn't sure where Teresa had gone, but she wasn't around. Thomas glanced at Newt, considering asking him to dance. He spent a couple minutes, trying to work up some nerve, but eventually decided that Newt was probably not interested. So he just sat with him, watching the crowd. 

 

They stayed for about an hour or so, but soon people started disappearing. That, or they were way too drunk to be enjoyable. 

Teresa had met up with some friends. She walked over, nodding to them. "I think I'm gonna walk home with them. You're gonna be alright?" 

Newt nodded. "I'll see you soon." 

Teresa turned to Thomas, a very stern look on her face. "Make sure he gets home alright. If something happens to him, I'll hunt you down." 

Newt laughed. "We're staying in the same house, Teresa." 

"Still!" she said, then smiled sweetly. "I'll be seeing you around," she said, lingering for a moment before running off. 

"Let's go," Newt said, zipping up his jacket. "I'm freezing."

They walked through the quiet streets together, hands in pockets. The only light was the streetlights looming over them. Though, despite being pretty tired, they both had smiles on their faces. Overall, it was pretty fun. 

"You didn't dance with anybody," Thomas commented. 

"I danced with Teresa!" Newt objected. 

"But that was different, it seemed like you two were just playing around." Thomas said, then rephrased himself. "You didn't  _seriously_ dance with anyone." 

Newt laughed a little. "Okay, you got me there." he kicked a stone as he walked. "I had thought about asking you, but..." 

Thomas felt his cheeks get a little warmer. "Oh yeah? I had thought about asking you, too." 

Newt shoved his arm, grinning. "Well you should have!" 

Thomas laughed, looking over at Newt. "We could dance now." 

"In the middle of the street?" Newt asked with a laugh. 

"Well yeah, why not?" Thomas asked with a grin. 

"It's so cold, though," Newt said, but something in his voice made it seem like he wanted Thomas to convince him. 

"We don't have even have to stop walking," he said, offering his hand. 

Newt grinned wickedly and took his hand. 

It was in no way graceful. Dancing while walking was definitely not supposed to happen. Thomas attempted to spin Newt, which just resulted in Newt stumbling and both of them falling. Thomas landed on him; for the briefest moment, he was worried, but when he looked at Newt, he was just laughing helplessly. Thomas did the same, pulling Newt to his feet. 

"I think we're done," Newt said with a breathless laugh. 

Thomas laughed. "I think so, too." 

It was only a minute or so more until they reached the house. 

Carefully, Newt opened the door and tiptoed inside, Thomas following, spending a long time closing the door as silently as he could. They rushed to their rooms, pausing at Newt's door. Thomas looked at him and smiled. 

Newt simply smiled in return before slipping into his room, closing the door behind him. 

Thomas wandered into his own room. He let out a content sigh, falling back on his bed, his heart racing, his chest warm. 

_What am I getting myself into?_

 

 


	4. Brave Knights and True Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Please enjoy another update!!   
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

Thomas awoke feeling more than ready for his lesson. 

During the entire thing, he felt just as good. He tried to find an excuse for it, telling himself it was the clear sky outside, or that the material was simply better today. But of course, he knew that wasn't true; he was still feeling the high of the night previous. He had somewhat of a difficult time keeping a smile off his face. 

When it was over, Thomas couldn't help himself--the first place he went was to Newt. 

Newt was in his room, sitting cross-legged, Teresa sitting across from him. The two were talking about something that sounded like a book. Judging by the discarded copies of the same book nearby, Thomas assumed he was right. 

He felt a bit awkward suddenly, now that she was there. And maybe even a bit disappointed. He had wanted to just talk to Newt. 

Thomas considered walking away, but Newt glanced up and smiled when he saw Thomas. "Hey, come in." 

Thomas did as told, sitting on the edge of bed beside Newt. "What are you two up to?" 

"Book talk," Teresa said, picking up and waving her book around. There was a dragon on the cover; Thomas didn't recognize the title or author. 

"So how was your lesson?" Newt asked. 

"It was really good," Thomas said with a nod. "Much more interesting than yesterday's." 

Teresa scooted in closer. "Well that's good to hear," she said, smiling fondly. 

Thomas noticed immediately the sudden change in mood from Newt. He scowled for just a moment, but Thomas caught it. Thomas suddenly felt a bit bad; maybe he was intruding. 

Teresa suddenly smacked Thomas' leg playfully. "So Thomas! Tell us something interesting about you." 

Thomas was a bit caught off guard. "Well. Like what?" 

Teresa smirked, scooting in even closer. So close that if she so much as leaned forward, their legs would touch. "Oh you know. Something interesting! How many people have you been with? Any riveting love affair stories?" 

Thomas laughed, shaking his head. "Riveting love affairs? Not by a long shot. My love life is anything but riveting." 

"Well," Teresa said expectantly. "Tell me about how painfully not riveting it is." 

Thomas blushed slightly and shrugged. "Uh, ya know. I dated a girl in high school, but nothing too serious," he said thoughtfully. He blushed. "That's about as long as my love life goes. I've always been a bit more focused on my studies." 

Teresa's smile widened at the news of his ex-girlfriend. Newt, on the other hand, seemed to scoot away from Thomas just a bit. 

"Are you a virgin?" Teresa asked abruptly with a smirk. 

Thomas blushed deeply, almost shocked by the sudden question. "What?!" 

"It's okay if you are," Teresa said, clearly enjoying herself. "Newt's a virgin." 

Newt threw his book at Teresa, blushing deeply. "That's not something you bloody tell people!"

Thomas blushed even deeper at hearing that. A certain feeling stirred inside him, making him clear his throat. "What about you, Teresa?" Thomas choked out; anything to get the attention off he and Newt for a minute. 

Teresa wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed, she was mainly just focused on retrieving the book that had fallen on the floor after being thrown at her. "Me? You should never ask a lady a question like that." she said with a laugh. 

"She's not," Newt snapped, crossing his arms. "She's not a lady, either." 

Teresa just grinned. "Fine, alright, I guess that's fair. Now it's your turn! Come on, there's nothing to be embarrassed about here, we already said ours." 

"Actually,  _you_ said  _mine,"_ Newt scowled. 

"And you said mine! We're even!" Teresa retorted, then looked at Thomas expectantly. 

Thomas shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "Uh, no. I'm not." 

Teresa squealed excitedly, and Newt just blushed deeper. "See!" Teresa laughed with delight. "That's interesting!" 

Thomas laughed halfheartedly. "Well I'm glad you're enjoying this conversation." 

"Yeah, because it's making everyone else uncomfortable," Newt muttered. 

Teresa rolled her eyes with a grin. "Fine, fine. I'll behave." she paused, then suddenly gasped excitedly. "Oh, we should take him to The Serpentine on one of the days you have off from your lessons!" 

"The what?" Thomas asked, glancing at Newt. 

Newt smiled. "A lake. That's not a bad idea, actually. I bet I could talk my dad into letting you come with us tomorrow. It'll be much less busy if we go during a weekday." 

Teresa smiled and nodded, grabbing Thomas' hand. "Do you want to go?" 

Thomas laughed a little. "Sure, okay." 

Teresa cheered. She jumped to her feet, a big smile on her face. "Okay, I'll meet you guys there tomorrow," she said, collecting her book. "I'll see you boys later!" she said, blowing Newt a kiss and, much to Thomas' shock, kissing Thomas right on the cheek before hopping out happily. 

Newt huffed, clearly annoyed. Thomas glanced over at him, clearing his throat. He pulled a grin. "So. Virgin?"

"Don't," Newt warned, but he was fighting a grin. 

Thomas laughed. "I won't," he said, grabbing the book off the bed. "So what's this all about anyway?" 

"Never heard of it?" Newt asked, scooting in closer. Thomas couldn't help but notice the way Newt suddenly seemed in a much better mood, and more talkative, now that Teresa had gone. 

"I can't say I have," Thomas said, handing it over. "I don't really read fiction." 

Newt ran his fingers along the spine of the book affectionately. "That's a shame," he muttered. "They're really great." 

"You prefer them?" Thomas urged; he wanted Newt to tell him everything. It was almost frustrating--he just wanted to know more about Newt, but Newt didn't talk much about himself unless he was coaxed into it. 

Newt nodded. "Definitely. I like other books; I read them. History, Sciences, studies, all that, but nothing quite beats fiction." he let out a little laugh, and even though he was trying to hide it, his eyes were full of passion. He just looked so much cuter when he lit up like that. "I like the fantasies. Brave knights and true love and all that." 

Thomas nodded, smiling. He loved that Newt loved that. 

"Maybe I'll give them a shot sometime," Thomas said, moving in closer. 

Newt didn't seem to mind his closeness, just grinned. "Lemme know if you do." 

For a moment or two, they just sat and looked at each other. Thomas didn't quite realize he was doing it until Newt suddenly looked flustered and rushed off the bed. "I should go talk to my dad. About you. Coming with us tomorrow," he stammered, nodded to himself, then rushed off. 

Thomas just sat there, feeling a bit lost, then slowly walked back to his own room. 

The only other time he saw Newt that night was when Newt came to tell him that his dad, reluctantly, approved to let Thomas come with them. At the cost of one of his days off, which was fine with Thomas. 

When he laid down for bed, of all the things he could've thought of, he thought about how Newt liked fantasies. 


	5. The Perfect Day for Swimming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Here's another update; I finally finished planning out all of the chapters for this fic, and now I have to control myself to not just write them all at once... Lol! Enjoy! It's kind of short, so I'm thinking I might do another after this. 
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

"So. The Serpentine. Do you go often?" 

The two of them walked along the sidewalk together, the warm sun hanging overhead. It was definitely the perfect day to go swimming. Thomas walked with his swimming trunks and towel thrown over his shoulder. He couldn't wait to change out of his jeans and just go straight into the water. 

"Occasionally," Newt said with a shrug. "It gets pretty busy sometimes. It's a big tourist attraction, as well as big local hangout, so yeah. But it's the middle of the week, so it shouldn't be too crowded." 

Thomas nodded eagerly. "You sure do have a lot of tourist attractions around here, huh?" 

Newt laughed. "Yep. Don't worry, I'll take you to more." 

"That better be a promise," Thomas said, and he meant it. He wanted to see everything there was to see with Newt. 

When they reached it, Newt was right, it was a bit busy. Not swarming or anything, but Thomas could imagine how bad it must get on the weekends. Newt paid admission and they changed in the changing rooms before heading out. There was a designated swimming area, so Newt led Thomas near the boundaries of it. "Teresa and I always go here." he said matter-of-factly, stopping at the water's edge. 

Thomas began wading in slowly. It wasn't freezing, but getting into any body of water was cold at first. 

Newt on the other hand just sat at the water's edge, dipping his hand in. Thomas looked over his shoulder, pouting. "Come on, get in." 

"I will," Newt giggled, swishing his hand around. "Gotta take it slow." 

Thomas smirked, turning around and walking over. He pretended like he was going to sit down, but just grabbed Newt and threw him in before he could protest. Newt came up out of the water, gasping. Thomas laughed; he had never seen such a look of shock on someone's face. "What's wrong with you?!" Newt squeaked, a hint of a smile on his face. 

Thomas figured it was only fair if he joined him. "Hang on, hang on, I'm coming," he said through a laugh, running into the water. 

He got used to the temperature quickly, and soon it didn't even feel cold anymore. When Thomas reached Newt, Newt just shook his head disapprovingly. "I could bloody kill you for that. Don't think I won't." he said, splashing him fondly. 

Thomas smirked. "Yeah, but you won't." 

Newt didn't argue, just splashed him again. Thomas smirked and began swimming back, savoring the feeling of the water on his skin. He noticed that Newt wasn't following him and stopped. "Well are you gonna swim?" 

Newt looked aside a bit sheepishly. "Um. Well yeah, but not far." 

Thomas eyed him suspiciously. "I know you can swim. So what's the problem?" 

"Well I  _can_ swim." Newt said with a nod. "Just not well." 

Thomas nodded, swimming back to him. "So you're scared of going farther out, then?" 

Newt rolled his eyes. "I didn't say scared." 

"No, you didn't," Thomas said, smirking. "So come out with me then." 

Newt hesitated, then groaned. "Shut up." Thomas couldn't help but smile at the blush dusted across Newt's cheeks. 

Thomas laughed, offering a hand. "Just come with me. I won't let you drown." 

Newt looked at him nervously, and Thomas realized that Newt actually  _was_ quite scared of going farther out. Thomas suddenly felt the  _need_ to show Newt it was alright, and to keep him safe. Gently, he took Newt's hand. "It's not that scary, let me show you." he tried not to show it, but having Newt's hand in his was making something stir in him. 

Newt didn't argue as Thomas began pulling him out, but he gripped Thomas' arm with both hands, and Thomas just chuckled to himself.  _Always too cute for his own good._

When they were far enough out that Newt couldn't touch the bottom, or even come at all close, Thomas stopped. "See? Not so bad." 

Newt seemed to disagree, seeing as he held both of Thomas' arms, moving in closer. Thomas grinned, but was just slightly losing his cool at the closeness. "Come on now, do you really think I'd let you drown?" 

Newt blushed slightly. "Well, no." 

"Exactly." Thomas said, slowly moving his arms away. Newt could swim, obviously, so it's not like he immediately went under or anything. He was doing just fine, and Thomas couldn't understand what he was so scared of. 

Newt did fine for a moment, then his nerves got the better of him. Much to Thomas' surprise, he wrapped his arms around Thomas' shoulders and clung to him. "Okay, I'm done," he muttered into the crook of Thomas' neck, making Thomas blush deeply. 

Thomas laughed a bit, mostly from embarrassment. "Okay fine, we'll go back, just get on my back." 

Feeling Newt on him was making it a bit hard to focus, but he still waited until Newt had climbed onto his back, and then began swimming back. 

As they were heading back, Newt rested his head on Thomas', and Thomas was sure it'd be a miracle if he managed to get through today. 

 

They swam about for awhile, talking, occasionally splashing each other. 

After about half an hour or so, they crawled out of the water. The sun was higher in the sky, coming down with a much more intense heat, though it felt nice after swimming. They laid side-by-side on the ground, letting the sun dry them off. Thomas glanced over at Newt and suddenly had a very hard time looking away. He was absolutely captivating. 

Newt was stretched out so leisurely; it was times like that that really reminded Thomas that, while Newt was painfully cute, he was also quite terribly gorgeous as well. 

"I wonder when Teresa is getting here," Newt said. 

Thomas looked away frantically, his cheeks burning. He felt like he had been caught committing some kind of crime. "I dunno," Thomas stammered, trying to sound natural. "We didn't really plan a time." 

As if on cue, Teresa walked up, holding bottles of water. "Hello boys!" she sang happily, sitting beside them. 

Thomas and Newt sat up, accepting the water bottles from her. She grinned. "Already went swimming? Well you're getting back in there soon. I'm not swimming alone!" she giggled. "How is it, though?" 

"Fantastic," Thomas purred. 

"Yeah, it really is a good day for swimming," Teresa chimed. She hopped up. "Now come on, let's take advantage of that!" 

 

Of course, they did join her. 

They spent another hour or so in the water, laughing, splashing, swimming, racing; all that. Thomas forgot he was here for studies. This time, when they got out, the sun wasn't quite as strong, so they actually wrapped their towels around themselves. 

They just sat there peacefully for a moment, the warmth was so very inviting. Thomas felt like he could take a nap. 

After a moment or two, Newt stood and stretched. "I'll be back, gotta pee," he said, rushing off. 

Teresa smiled, looking just as relaxed and happy by the warm sun. "Not bad here, huh?"

"Not at all," Thomas hummed, followed by a yawn. "This has felt like more of a vacation than an academic trip." 

Teresa grinned. "And you haven't even been here that long; I guess we're good as hospitality." 

"I guess so," Thomas said with a laugh. He laid back again, just soaking up sun now. 

Teresa copied him, humming in approval as she did so. Teresa laid rather close to him. She smiled over at him. "Spending time with you the past couple days has been really great," she said, almost sheepishly. 

"Yeah, it's been great. You guys are really cool," Thomas offered, not sure what to say to that. 

Apparently that was more than enough, because she smiled widely. 

When Newt came back, Thomas couldn't help but notice the way he shimmied himself in between Teresa and Thomas. 


	6. How Everything Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I promised, another update! Please do enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

After that, everything seemed to fly by. 

Thomas knew he had needed to get more serious about his lessons; so he did. And that focus ate up two whole weeks in no time. Though, thankfully, for Thomas' sanity, those lessons weren't all he was focused on. 

Newt had become a very major part of his life. 

Everyday after lessons, he spent all evening with him. Sometimes they went on walks, sometimes they stayed home and talked, sometimes Thomas studied his lessons while Newt read his books. Nothing but blissful silence. So long as they were together, everything felt better. 

In fact, Newt came as naturally to him as breathing. If he didn't see him everyday, he was sure he'd choke. 

Teresa came around often; and they hung out together. Teresa was a nice girl, but it had become apparent to Thomas that Teresa had a crush on him. Though, it seemed she would never act on it. Thomas was glad for that, because it would be quite awkward to turn her down. 

That being said, Thomas couldn't deny his feelings for Newt anymore. 

First was infatuation. Newt was cute, and beautiful, and smart, and captivating. Newt's presence practically demanded all of Thomas' attention, and Thomas was glad to give it all. Though, on the other side of that coin, was guilt. 

Thomas was staying in the home of The Professor, while being completely head over heels for his son. Sitting through lessons became increasingly harder the more Thomas fell for Newt. He was sure the Professor could smell the guilt on him. 

Though, all those feelings were suddenly absent from him when he was with Newt. He wasn't thinking about anything but Newt. 

After his lesson, he started towards Newt's room as he always did. 

His lesson had run late, and Thomas was so thankful to be out of the library and on his feet again. 

Newt's door was open, as it always was. And Thomas simply walked inside, as he always did. Newt was sitting on his bed with a jacket on. "You're late tonight," Newt said as Thomas sat beside him. 

Thomas yawned, rubbing in his eyes. "Yeah. It was exhausting." 

Newt peered over Thomas' shoulder, then hopped up and shut his door. "Wanna sneak out?" 

Thomas looked at Newt, baffled. "What?" 

"Do you wanna sneak out?" Newt asked with a laugh. "You got back too late for us to go on a walk, now it's so late, dad would never let me out. So. Let's sneak out." 

Thomas knew he should've said no--he was a student here, an adult, not a kid on vacation. But he couldn't say no to Newt, and everything about Newt excited him. "... Okay, let's do it." 

They both clambered ungracefully out Newt's window. Somehow, they managed to stay on their feet. Newt giggled, completely giddy. It was infectious, forcing a laugh to bubble out of Thomas. Newt grabbed Thomas' sleeve and started running; Thomas allowing himself to be pulled after him. 

They ran seemingly aimlessly for awhile until Newt suddenly took a turn; Thomas recognized where they were immediately. 

It was that first park they went to; where Thomas had learned to skip stones. 

Newt stopped only when they were standing before that very same pond. He plopped onto the ground, panting. He looked up at Thomas, expectantly waiting for him to do the same. Thomas plopped down beside him, trying to find his breath. 

Both of them sat there for a moment; it was completely silent save for their breathing. 

Then Newt spoke; "Tell me about the states." 

Thomas nodded a bit, thinking for a moment. "Well. I guess that depends on what you want to know." 

"What is there to see?" Newt asked, staring up at the stars, pulling his knees up to his chest. 

Thomas followed his gaze, staring up at the stars as well as he spoke. "There's a lot. Lots of beaches, Hollywood, the Grand Canyon, Washington D.C.--all kinds of stuff. Each states has its own attraction, at least one." 

Newt let out a content sigh. "I want to go someday," he muttered. He looked like he had something more to say, but he stopped talking. 

Thomas wasn't having that. 

"Go on," Thomas said eagerly. 

Newt glanced at him for a moment, then glanced back up at the sky. "Well. I don't know. I'm just under a lot of pressure here. What with my dad being so successful. Everyone around here knows him, and everyone expects me to be just as successful in my academics..." he sighed, his eyes falling to the ground. "I dunno. I want to go somewhere else. I don't want to spend all my time on my academics; I want to see new things and do something, I don't know,  _different._ " 

Thomas stared at him; something deep inside him constricted. For whatever reason, Newt's words moved him. 

"I'll take you," Thomas blurted quietly after a moment. Newt glanced at him, a look of confusion on his face, and Thomas was talking again before he even realized it; "I'll take you anywhere you want to go." 

Newt's breath caught and his eyes darted all over Thomas for a moment; he looked completely shocked by what Thomas had said. Thomas was a bit surprised he had said it himself, but he meant it. He meant it more than anything. 

Newt swallowed hard, then leaned forward and kissed him. 

Now it was Thomas' turn to be completely and utterly shocked. It was soft and unsure; a kiss that was barely there. But it set Thomas' heart on fire. 

It didn't last long. It was a short kiss, that never picked up any traction. It would forever go down in their history as their first kiss; their first, beautiful, gentle kiss. Their barely there kiss. 

It ended so quickly, and Thomas and Newt were just left sitting there, their lips brushing together as they just stared at each other. 

Newt was the one who pulled back first, blushing deeply. Even still, there was a smile etched onto his face. Thomas', too. 

They didn't speak. Thomas simply put his hand on Newt's, and they sat in silence, smiling like idiots. 

Everything was going to change. 


	7. Nothing Good Can Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry lovelies! 
> 
> First of all, I was away. And then last night, when I updated the rest of them, for some reason, this one didn't post. Which is partly my fault, because I didn't even wait to make sure it did, I just posted it and shut everything down, lol!   
> So here is the one from last night, there will be another along shortly! 
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

Things went on as if the kiss had never happened. 

It was somewhat confusing, but it wasn't necessarily  _bad._ Thomas wasn't sure what was going on between them, but he knew that now, at least, it was different. And there was  _something._ Even if they went right back into their normal routine afterwards. 

There had been no more kissing, and definitely no progressions. 

And while it sounds quite miserable, it wasn't. It was enjoyable. A couple days seemed to just flit by. The feelings and pull between them was undeniable. Even still, they just continued to spend time together as they had before. But there was no denying that now they sat closer, that Newt's smiles were warmer, that Thomas' heart wouldn't stop beating. 

There was just no denying that Thomas was in love. 

Thomas had been considering asking Newt what was going on between them, but when he finally decided he was going to do it, he stepped inside Newt's room to see Teresa in there. They were laughing about something when they noticed him. "Hey," Newt said, his smile becoming almost bashful; he looked at Thomas like that a lot now. 

Teresa waved. "Hello!" 

"Hey guys," Thomas said, walking inside and sitting on the bed with them. 

"So, I was just about to say," Teresa started. "We should have a picnic tomorrow. The weather's been great, and we're gonna lose that beautiful weather if we don't take advantage of it while we can!" 

Newt nodded. "Sounds great!" he said, glancing over at Thomas. 

Thomas nodded. "Yeah! Sounds great to me." 

Newt nodded. "Alright. We can have it here." 

"And I'll bring the food," Teresa chirped happily. She hopped up, smiling big. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" she sang, resting a hand on Thomas' shoulder on the way out. 

The moment she was gone, that familiar atmosphere began stirring up again. It was like the sun was perfect and warm all around them, and something was buzzing between the two of them. Thomas could feel it in his chest, warm and spreading.  _This must be what love feels like,_ he thought fondly. 

Newt scooted closer, sitting in front of him. "Excited for tomorrow?" 

Thomas nodded. "Sounds like fun," he said, but he was mostly just focused on those eyes, his lips, how painfully close he was... 

Newt patted Thomas' leg. "You should get some sleep, you look exhausted." 

Thomas pouted slightly. "Awe, I don't need it. I can just stay here with you." 

Newt giggled and shoved him playfully. "Go on!" 

Thomas laughed and hopped off the bed. "Fine, fine," he paused at Newt's doorway, smiling over his shoulder. "Goodnight." 

"Goodnight, Tommy," Newt said with a smile. 

Thomas crossed the hall to his room, closing his door behind him. He threw himself on the bed, sighing out loud. He was hopeless. 

 

Teresa was right, the weather was beautiful. 

The sun was just warm enough to be relaxing without being too hot. There was a breeze just enough to feel amazing, and not be chilly. 

The food was good, and they had a great time; just talking and lounging about. It was quite the contrast from their usual hangouts, which consisted of seeing all the tourist spots.

Thomas laid back, sighing in content. The sun would be setting soon, which was fine with Thomas. Good food, fun, and a perfectly warm sun had been working against Thomas, tempting him with a sleep the entire time. Though despite his sleepiness, he was sure he'd be up with Newt talking, or reading, or something. 

They all laid there for awhile, soaking up the sun until it began to set. Then Newt was the first to stand. "I'll go take all the trash in the house," he said with a stretch, collecting wrappers and napkins and whatever else, and swaying inside. He looked just about as sleepy as Thomas felt. 

Teresa turned towards Thomas suddenly. "I thought he'd never leave." 

Thomas glanced at her curiously. "What? Why?" 

Teresa flashed him a smile, then leaned forward and kissed him. For a moment, Thomas didn't even really seem to understand what was going on. He had been so sure Teresa was getting over him, and that she wouldn't make a move, that this was much more of a shock than it would've been if a  _stranger_ had walked up and kissed him. 

Thomas sat up, grabbing her shoulders and gently yet firmly pushing her back. "Woah, what are you doing?" 

Teresa blushed slightly. "Well, ya know, I just thought..." she shrugged, a sheepish smile on her face. She leaned forward and stole another brief kiss, but Thomas pulled away again. 

She didn't seem to notice, just smiled bashfully over Thomas' shoulder. "I didn't know how to tell you how I felt about him." 

Thomas whirled around where Newt stood. He just looked at them for a moment, and then nodded. He was so tense, like he'd just been punched in the gut. But he somehow pulled a smile. "You should've told me sooner," he strangled out. "What are friends for?" 

Teresa giggled. "I know, I know..." 

Newt inhaled sharply. "I'll leave you two to it," he said, rushing inside. 

Thomas mentally cursed. Teresa looked at him expectantly and Thomas just frowned. "Uh, Teresa, I think you're great..." 

She frowned. "But?"

"But I don't have feelings like that for you," Thomas said apologetically. 

Teresa nodded slightly. "I understand," she glanced aside for a moment, then back at Thomas. The apprehension he felt about Newt must've been clear on his face, because Teresa looked over him thoughtfully. "Do you...? Do you have feelings for Newt?" 

Thomas blushed slightly, his eyes cutting towards the door Newt had disappeared through. "Uh..." 

Teresa shook her head. "I guess that should've been obvious," she said, letting out a small, almost humorless laugh. "Well, I guess you better go get him. He's probably pretty upset."

Thomas nodded. He felt a bit bad to just leave her there, but he needed to talk to Newt. He sprinted inside, straight to Newt's room and caught him just as he was closing the door. "Newt!" 

Newt just glanced over at him. "Shouldn't you be with Teresa?" he asked, his words carrying an edge. 

"Newt, she kissed me." Thomas said, shaking his head. "I didn't--" 

"I know that." Newt spat. "Of course I know that. But she's pretty and smart and fun and outgoing. I know you must like her. She's better for you anyways," he said, trying to close the door again. Thomas stopped him.

"Newt, I don't--" 

"I don't need you to pity me!" he snapped. He shook his head. "I was stupid to have feelings for you in the first place. Now just go." 

Thomas just shook his head. "I want you." 

Newt shook his head. "You say that now. But you're going to think about her. You'll change your mind," he said, looking almost miserable. "It's not like we were together anyways. It was just a kiss." 

Thomas tried to take a step towards him, but Newt recoiled. "Just go!"

Thomas frowned. "Newt, listen..." 

"Just go away!" Newt yelled, glaring. "That kiss meant nothing anyway," he growled before slamming the door on Thomas. 

Thomas had no idea why Newt was being so irrational and defensive. But for some reason, he still felt awful. He felt like he had been cut open right there; those last five words cut him right open and cut his heart right out. And Newt didn't even have the good grace to take Thomas' heart with him after he ripped it out. 

And yet, for whatever reason, Thomas still felt like this was all his fault. 


	8. The Saddest Sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> It's so cold!! I hope you all are warmer than I am, haha! Enjoy a quick little transition sort of chapter! 
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

Thomas picked at his breakfast. He hadn't taken a single bite yet. 

He wasn't hungry. He had no appetite whatsoever. And somehow, glancing at Newt's empty seat at the table made it even worse. Newt had feigned sickness to get out of eating at the table. 

Not that Thomas had seen him and could confirm Newt was faking it, but he just knew Newt better than that. Of course he was faking it. He just didn't want to see Thomas; couldn't even stand eating in the same room as him. 

Though, when Thomas glanced up, he noticed the Professor staring at him with an unreadable expression. Thomas just rubbed his eyes, pretending he were tired to dilute some suspicion, then began eating rather quickly. 

He finished earlier than Newt's parents. He excused himself from the table, and rushed upstairs. 

 _I have to talk to him,_ he thought.  _There's no way I can sit through a lesson feeling like this._

When Thomas reached Newt's room, he suddenly wished he hadn't left that table. 

Newt's door was closed. 

It would seem like a small thing to anyone else, but it wasn't. Not to Thomas. Not once had Thomas looked at that door to see it closed. It was always open, inviting him inside. And now, it was shut, and Thomas suddenly felt like he was completely alone in the entire world. 

Thomas pressed his hand against his chest; it was easily the saddest sight he had ever seen. 

Thomas swallowed the pain and slowly walked forward, placing his hand on the doorknob and trying to open it briefly. Of course, it was locked. Thomas sighed, getting the message. He leaned his forehead against the door. He had never felt so closed off from Newt before. And he couldn't help but wonder what he was doing on the other side of that door; sleeping? Reading? Just laying in the bed, staring out the window? He was dying to know. 

But he didn't push it. 

Instead, he took a step back, slowly. He cast one more look at the door as if that might open it, then headed to the library for his lesson. 

 

Thomas ran his fingers along the pages with a sigh. 

He hadn't been able to focus the entire time. Every word felt like an eternity. Even worse; Thomas didn't know what he had waiting for him at the end of each eternity. He had no idea what he was going to do next. 

"You don't look well," The Professor commented, his eyes skimming words on a page. 

Thomas glanced at him, offering a smile. "I've been so tired lately," he said, his eyes falling back down to the page. "I have no idea why." 

The Professor just shook his head, looking over at Thomas. "What exactly has been going on with you and my son?" 

Thomas' heart skipped a beat and he looked up at the Professor, freezing up for a moment. "Um," he said, shaking his head. "I don't--I don't know what you're talking about, sir." 

"Yeah, okay," The Professor said with a roll of his eyes. "I don't know what it is, but I know it made Newt really happy." he paused for a moment, then just sighed slightly. "And I don't know why he's so miserable now. But... You look miserable, too." 

Thomas glanced aside; he wasn't sure what to say. 

The Professor just leaned back in his chair, focusing back in on the papers before him. 

"I don't know what you two have going on, but I do have expectations you will make him happy again." 

Thomas stole the briefest glance, then stared down at his paper harder than he thought possible. 

He swallowed the discomfort, and didn't say a word. 

 


	9. Mended

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Here's the next update! It's a bit late, I apologize, I was rearranging my room for a looonng time, haha! Please do enjoy :)
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

Thomas woke up, determined to settle this. 

He couldn't understand why Newt was suddenly so distant; Thomas had made it clear he didn't have any feelings for Teresa. And Newt had made it quite clear he had feelings for Thomas, so Thomas couldn't understand why they were in this situation. 

But he'd find out. And he'd change it. 

Just his luck, though, Newt had slipped out for the night just before Thomas got out of his lesson. Thomas wondered if he was at another party. Maybe out with Teresa. Though it seemed unlikely. If anything, Thomas guessed he had probably gone out for a walk by himself. 

So Thomas just wandered outside, sitting on the steps. He'd wait for him to get back. He'd talk to him before Newt hid behind that closed door again. 

Thomas propped his chin up by his hand, resting his elbow on his knee. It was a nice summer night; not cold, not hot. Right smack in the middle. If the situation had been different, Thomas would've suggested he and Newt watch the stars or something of the sorts. 

Thomas' mind was spinning. He had no idea what he'd say, or how he'd approach this issue once Newt actually got back. Somehow, an hour or two went by. Seemingly impossibly fast. 

Thomas had had it all planned; he was going to be gentle and careful, but stern if Newt tried to shut him out. 

But the moment he saw Newt walking back towards the house with some random boy by his side, everything he had spent so long thinking about was out the window. A surge of annoyance burned through him. 

Thomas got to his feet, brushing himself off.  _A date? He went on a date? To spite me, probably._

Newt stopped short when he saw Thomas. He didn't look guilty or surprised, just turned to the boy beside him, beginning to tell him goodnight. Thomas quickly stood between them before they could kiss. "Yes, goodnight," Thomas said, waving the stranger away. 

The moment the boy had turned to walk away, Thomas turned to Newt. "Who's that?" he practically demanded. 

"Just some boy. Nothing _you_ need to worry about," Newt spat, turning and beginning to rush inside. The way he said it sent a spike of frustration through Thomas, rattling him right down to the core. 

Thomas grabbed Newt by the wrist. "Wait," he said, the anger subsiding just a bit. "Wait, just let me talk to you. Unless of course you actually _like_ that guy." 

Newt turned towards him, and he looked quite pained, suddenly completely miserable. The sudden change was jarring, and Thomas immediately released him. He didn't care if Newt wanted to run inside, just so long as he didn't look so  _sad. "_ I'm sorry," Thomas blurted, not sure what he was apologizing for. 

Newt just huffed, adverting his gaze. Maybe it was just Thomas' imagination, but the way the moonlight hit Newt's eyes made it seem like they had glossed over. 

After a moment, Newt spoke quietly. 

"Fine. We'll talk." 

 

Thomas led them into his room. 

He quietly shut the door behind them, then awkwardly motioned for Newt to sit. Newt just sat back on Thomas' bed; it was a bit odd. They never spent time in here, it was always Newt's room. 

Thomas decided that maybe it wasn't the best time to think about that. 

He sat beside Newt, clearing his throat. "I want to know why you've been avoiding me," he said, a bit unsure at first, but gaining confidence with every word. "I told you I wasn't interested in her. I chased after  _you_ , but you've still been acting like I left you for her or something..." 

"We were never together in the first place," Newt snapped. 

Thomas picked up a hint of something in his voice; he had recognized it several times during this whole ordeal, but only now realized what it was. "Why do you sound so defensive?"

Newt glanced at him, then just sighed. "It doesn't matter." 

"It does," Thomas pressed. "It really does. Tell me. Something tells me this has more to it than just me." 

Newt just sighed in defeat. "It wouldn't be the first time. That someone I was in a relationship with fell for her soon after." 

Thomas frowned. "It was someone you cared about?" 

"Deeply," Newt said with a nod, then glanced up at Thomas almost bashfully. "And I care about you even more." 

"What exactly happened?" Thomas asked, trying to deny the way his heart skipped a beat at hearing that. 

Newt leaned in closer now as he spoke. He didn't seem so walled off, either. It made Thomas relax volumes. 

"He and I were together, and things were good for a little while," he muttered with a shrug. "But then he realized she was pretty and funny and outgoing, and... Well, yeah. He made the obvious choice." he shook his head a bit. "Teresa didn't date him, obviously. She's a good friend, but he still left me for a chance with her." 

Thomas shook his head, scoffing. "The obvious choice? He's an idiot." Thomas reached out, taking Newt's hand. "I know I can't just make you forget about that whole thing, but I can assure you that I've never felt like this with anyone else but you. Not her. And that won't change." 

Newt looked at their hands for a moment, then wiped a tear away before it fell. 

Thomas offered a smile. "So will you look at me now, please? Stop avoiding me, too?" 

Newt just sniffled a little, smiling as he nodded. He laughed a little. "Yeah. I'm sorry about the way I treated you." 

"Seriously, what was up with that guy? Do I need to tell him myself that you're mine or what?" 

Newt blushed and laughed nervously. "No, he's nothing. I just went out with him tonight to piss ya off..." 

"Well it worked," Thomas said with a grin. 

"Yeah, sorry about that too," Newt giggled, still looking like he was on the verge of tears. 

"Well I know how you can make it up to me," Thomas said, smiling. 

"Yeah? What's that?" Newt asked, a bit amused, but looking more curious than anything else. 

Thomas grinned. "Kiss me." 

Newt blushed deeply, looking down at their joined his hands, flustered. Thomas rolled his eyes, smirking at Newt's nervousness. "Fine, I'll do it," he said, tilting Newt's head back, kissing him deeply. 

Newt's hands made their way around Thomas' shoulders a bit nervously. And while Thomas loved their first kiss, he was definitely enjoying this one quite a bit. Faster, closer, just _more_. They kissed for awhile until Thomas pulled away to catch his breath. 

When Thomas pulled away, he noticed Newt still looked shaken from their earlier conversation, and still looked quite nervous. Thomas decided that the kissing and whatever else could wait. Instead, he pulled Newt in against him as he laid back. "You should get some sleep." 

Newt looked a bit surprised, and almost relieved. He nodded and curled up against Thomas. 

Thomas' heart constricted; he had honestly never felt this way. He had never felt anything quite like the warmth that enveloped him, just looking at Newt curled up against him. 

Once again, he was sure Newt would be the death of him. 


	10. Just a Bit of England Weather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> So sorry! Last night, all the way up to this afternoon, we had some crazy wind storms!! One of our windows blew open, and our neighbors door blew open. It was crazy! Needless to say, internet was out, power was on and off, and service was long-gone. But everything is back now and I am here! Curled up in my blankets, listening to Frank Sinatra, and ready to write! 
> 
> P.S., after I update all the other fics, I am going to be posting another update to make up for none yesterday :)
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

The next couple days went by in the blink of an eye. 

Spending time with Newt was euphoric, but it flew by faster than Thomas could keep up with. He wish it'd slow down, so he could enjoy it. Thomas didn't think about it often, but every now and then he remembered that he'd have to leave in a couple weeks. Almost a month, but he had a feeling that spending all this time with Newt was going to make it feel like days. 

He pushed the thought away from him, focusing on his lesson. His time wasn't up yet, and that was all that mattered. 

Of course, when the lesson was over, Thomas rushed over to Newt's room with a bounce in his step. The past couple days had been very relaxed, which Thomas had been so grateful for after the whole ordeal with Teresa kissing Thomas, and Newt shutting him out. He and Newt just lazed around, sometimes reading, mostly talking, sometimes making out, sometimes just sitting beside each other, all cuddled up. 

But now he wanted to go do something with Newt; he had been at rest for too long, he needed to go do something, anything. 

Thomas stopped, leaning in Newt's doorway. He took a moment to just appreciate him there, stretched out, reading as usual. Thomas hummed. "How lovely." 

Newt grinned, sitting up and shutting his book. "Just get in here." 

Thomas laughed and did as told, crawling on the bed and over to Newt. He stole a quick kiss, and opened his mouth to tell Newt he wanted to go do something. Until he glanced at the window over Newt's shoulder and saw the rain coming down on it, and the splashes of grays across the sky. 

"What!?" Thomas asked incredulously, scrambling over to the window. He placed his hands against the glass; it was chilly outside, and his warmth left the shape of his hands on the glass for a couple moments after he had pulled them away. 

"What?" Newt asked, crawling over to Thomas' side, looking out the window curiously. 

Newt didn't even looked surprised, just looked at Thomas, confused. Thomas pointed at the window. "It's raining! In summer!" 

Newt looked a bit surprised for a moment, then busted up laughing, leaving Thomas just sitting there, baffled. He had been sure this was some kind of shocking event, but Newt just wiped away a tear, choking out the last couple giggles. "Welcome to England," Newt said, taking a deep breath, a big grin still plastered on his face. "The weather does whatever it wants." 

Thomas just huffed, his shoulders slumping. "Awe, I wanted to go out today." 

"Give it time, it'll probably be gone in twenty minutes." Newt said, patting Thomas' back. 

 

Twenty minutes later, and Newt was completely right. 

A couple gray clouds still clung to the sky, but they had parted, revealing the blue underneath. The sun spilling through the window was warm and inviting. Newt caught him staring out the window, grinning. "Want to go for a walk?" 

"Yes I do," Thomas said, pleased, hopping to his feet. 

They decided that a jacket wasn't necessary, seeing how quickly it was warming up. 

They quickly said goodbyes to Newt's parents, keeping a respectful distance from each other. Once they were out of sight of the house though, they walked closely. Thomas took Newt's hand as they walked, taking a deep breath. The air was clean and fresh, the smell of rain still lingering. 

Newt took a deep breath as well, a smile on his face. Thomas smiled at him. "You like the rain?" 

"I love it," Newt said with a sigh of content. "I really do. I love the smell, and I think there's nothing prettier than rain clouds." 

Thomas just smiled to himself. He loved finding out these bits and pieces about Newt. He was so different from Thomas, and that just lured Thomas in all the more. It was like reading a brand new book, and knowing it would be his favorite right away. 

 _Book references,_ Thomas thought, amused.  _Newt's really gotten to me._

"So, what about you?" Newt asked, stealing Thomas' attention. He gave Thomas' hand a little tug. "What do you want to do in life?" 

"Well, I want to teach. Preferably at Harvard. Or any college, really. I just really like teaching people who  _want_ to be taught, you know?" Thomas replied thoughtfully, then glanced at Newt. 

Newt just nodded. "I like that," he said, "but what else?" 

"What do you mean what else?" Thomas asked, a bit baffled. 

"What else do you want to do with your life? Where do you want to go, what do you want to see?" Newt pressed. "Ya know. The really important stuff." 

Thomas was a bit surprised by the question; he hadn't really thought about it all that much. "Well, I wanted to find the love of my life." he started, searching his mind for anything else. "But I guess other than that, there's not much." 

"Wanted?" Newt asked. 

Thomas just grinned at Newt, who then blushed deeply when he realized. 

"Oh." he said bashfully. 

Thomas just laughed and put his arm around him, pulling him in against him. Newt put his arm around Thomas' middle as they walked. "Really nothing else?" 

"No, not really." Thomas said. "Though, there's not much I wouldn't want to do. So I guess if someone wanted me to be with them while they did everything they wanted to do in life, I wouldn't mind. I'd enjoy it." 

Newt nodded thoughtfully. "You're different, you know that?" 

"I am?" 

"Yep." Newt said with a nod. "From all the other stuck up jerks who have come to stay with us. They think all there is to life is knowledge; like all that matters is that they memorize every fact they can." Newt shake his head. "What a miserable way to see things, I think." 

Thomas couldn't agree more. He liked his studies, but there were things that were much more important. Including the person under his arm. 

"Well I'm glad I'm different," Thomas said. "You like different." 

Newt grinned. "I do." 

They walked for a few more minutes when Newt suddenly stopped. "Feel that?" he asked, holding out a hand. 

Thomas was about to question it when a drop fell on his nose. He looked up; he hadn't even noticed the dark clouds that had rolled over them. From there, more and more drops began to fall almost instantly. And before they could really say a thing about it, it was pouring down so hard that Thomas could already feel his clothes getting soaked. "Um. Should we go home?" 

Newt nodded, blinking rain drops off his lashes. "Um. Definitely." 

The rain just kept coming down harder and harder, so before they knew it, they were making a mad dash back to the house. The rain was impossibly loud all around them, but Thomas could still hear Newt giggling, make him do the same. 

By the time the house was in sight, the rain was pounding the ground. Thomas' clothes hung off him, completely soaked, and his hair and face were covered in water. Even still, he stopped Newt before he could rush inside. "We should kiss," he practically shouted over the rain.

Newt looked completely dumbfounded, but he laughed. "What? Why?" 

Thomas laughed, shrugging. "Because that's what people in movies do." 

Newt laughed, and it was beautiful. And that look in Newt's eyes; Thomas had never felt so important to someone else before, but he knew was. The way Newt looked at him was unmistakable. Newt wrapped his arms around Thomas' shoulder, kissing him deeply. 

It wasn't a long kiss, since they were practically drowning in all the rain. 

Once it was done, they rushed inside. Thomas winced at the literal puddles they left wherever they stepped. 

"It's fine," Newt said, trembling, hugging himself. "Let's just focus on not freezing to death." 

 

About twenty minutes later, they were sitting on Newt's bed. 

Both of them were in fresh, dry clothes. They sat side-by-side, a blanket around them, and towels on their shoulders. Newt grabbed his and continued to dry his hair. "I bloody told ya," he said, looking over at Thomas. "England weather does whatever it wants." 

Thomas just laughed. "Yeah, I can see that." 

 

And just a couple minutes later, the rain was gone and the sun was shining. 


	11. Caesar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a second, real quick update!   
> Please enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do not own anything James Dashner or André Aciman have written!***

"It's a little warmer than usual today." 

Thomas agreed with Teresa on that one. She walked with a hand over her eyes, shielding them from the sun. Newt nodded as well. "It feels kinda nice, though," Newt said, holding out his arms. 

Thomas also agreed with Newt on that one. 

All of them hanging out had been a little awkward at first. Just because the last time Thomas and Teresa had seen each other, they kissed, and then Thomas turned her down. Though the awkward was fading fast. Teresa barely even seemed to notice. 

They had just walked around the town all day, the sun hanging high over their head. It'd be setting soon, which made Thomas a bit sad. It had been a good day; just walking, talking, going out to eat. Though he did want to get home and rest. The warmth of the sun made him sleepy. 

Suddenly, Newt gasped loudly, making Thomas jump. "What's the matter?" 

Newt knelt on the ground, reaching out towards some bushes. Inside, there was a small, scruffy-looking cat, eyeing him suspiciously. "C'mere kitty," Newt sang, holding out his hand, twirling his fingers. 

Thomas shook his head, amused, just standing back and watching. 

Teresa was at his side in a minute. "When I said I liked you, it was just a crush," she whispered, taking Thomas by surprised. "But he feels something much, much more for you. How I felt wasn't serious, but how he feels... He's serious." 

Thomas just nodded. "I know," he whispered. "I'm just as serious," he muttered, watching Newt's face as the cat began to take a few hesitant steps forward. The light in his eyes and smile on his face made Thomas' heart twist. 

"You better be," she continued. "Because if you're one of those people who are just going to break it off after you two have sex, I'll kick your ass." 

Thomas was shocked. He looked at her, wide-eyed. "What!?" he asked, too loud, then lowered his voice all the way back down to the whisper. "Teresa, I... I'm in love with him." 

Teresa looked a bit surprised to hear this. But she kept her eyes on Newt as she spoke. "I think he might love you, too." 

Thomas blushed deeply, glancing over at Newt. The little cat was sniffing his fingers, occasionally nudging them. Newt just smiled admirably, watching the little cat with such emotion. 

After a moment, the cat was all over Newt. 

Newt scooped the little thing up, then turned to Thomas and Teresa, suddenly looking so sad. "Poor thing is so skinny," Newt said, looking like his heart had just been broken. "I don't think it has anybody..." 

Thomas sighed, grinning. "We're taking it home, aren't we?" 

A little smile found Newt's face. 

"... Yes." 

 

Thomas sat in Newt's room while Newt spent an hour convincing his dad to let him keep it. 

After that, he and Thomas bathed the cat and fed it. Once the cat was clean, and had a full belly, Newt carried it back to his room, and Thomas joined him. They sat back on the bed, the cat sleeping soundly in Newt's lap. 

"So what are you gonna name it?" Thomas asked. 

Newt looked down at the sleeping bundle and smiled. "I was thinking Caesar." 

"Like... The salad?" 

Newt laughed, shaking his head. "No!" he giggled. "Like Julius Caesar." 

"Oh. I think the salad works much better," Thomas teased, kissing Newt's cheek. 

The cat stirred slightly, but fell right back asleep. 

"I guess I should be heading off to bed," Thomas said. He leaned forward, grabbing Newt's chin and pressing his lips against his. 

The otherwise perfect kiss was ruined by the sudden hiss. 

Both Newt and Thomas looked down where Caesar's hair stood on end. He hissed and swiped a paw at Thomas until Thomas scooted away from Newt. Once he was away, he purred, rubbed against Newt, then curled back up and fell asleep again. 

Thomas just sat there. He sighed. "Great. He hates me." 

Newt just giggled. 


	12. Author's Note!

Hey guys!

I'm so, so sorry for the silence. Don't worry, I'm still here! My mom lost one of her jobs, so we can't afford internet at the moment. I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to update you guys until now!

She should be getting a much better job soon, but sadly, until then, I don't have a means to update. I wish I was here, updating you all with another chapter, rather than an author's note, but I'm just at the library for a very short time today! And since we've moved I live so far from my friends, so I haven't been able to mooch off internet or anything.

But! I'm going to be going for a job once this quarter ends, but we'll probably have internet back way before then. I'll speak to you all as soon as I can!

Love you all, I miss you, but I'll be back!


End file.
